Tuna Tartare over Nori Chips 

Restaurant: Oxbow Bar and Grill

Serves 1-2 

*Chips 

• 3 sheets nori 
• 1 cup cold water 
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 6 cups canola oil 
• Togarashi (Japanese spice mixture) 

Cut nori into triangles. Combine water and cornstarch into a slurry. Heat oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Dip each chip into the slurry mix and drop into the oil. Nori will immediately boil/bubble. Flip nori and remove once it is no longer bubbling in the oil. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the extra oil. Toss chips into a light amount of Togarashi.  

*Tuna Tartare 

• 8 ounces Ahi tuna, diced 
• 1 ounce cucumber, seeded and diced  
• 1 ounce avocado, finely diced  
• 1 teaspoon chives, minced 
• ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice 
• ¼ teaspoon ginger, minced  
• ¼ teaspoon sesame oil 
• Fresh black pepper 

Mix all. Serve over chips 

1300 Hendry Street, Fort Myers; 239-314-3856, oxbowfortmyers.com  

Coconut Cloud 

Restaurant: Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar & Store

Serves 1 

• 1½ ounces vanilla-flavored vodka 
• 1½ ounces coconut-flavored rum 
• 1 ounce white rum 
• ½ ounce Coco Lopez toasted coconut flakes, for garnish 

In a cocktail shaker, combine all the liquid ingredients with ice. Shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Sprinkle with coconut flakes to garnish and serve immediately.  

23150 Fashion Drive, Suite 101, Estero; 239-947-2203, tommybahama.com/restaurants-and-marlin-bars 

Asparagus-Rosemary Bisque 

Restaurant: Nosh on Naples Bay

Serves 12 

• 1 stick butter  
• ½ cup flour 
• 1 sweet Vidalia onion, finely chopped 
• 2 bunches of rosemary, roughly chopped 
• ½ cup white wine 
• 3 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped 
• 2 quarts chicken bone broth (or vegetable broth if preferred) 
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

In small pot melt butter and add flour when melted, mix with wooden spoon, set aside. This should have the texture of wet sand at the beach. 

In six-quart pot, sweat onion with some olive oil and deglaze with white wine. Add the chopped rosemary, chicken broth, and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer. Add in the butter/flour mix. After 30 seconds, whisk vigorously. Continue to simmer soup for 20 minutes. Add to a blender and season with salt and pepper. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and serve.  

1490 5th Avenue S, Naples; 239-384-9208, noshonnaplesbay.com 

BBQ Ribs 

Restaurant: First Round Draft Sports Bar & Grill

Serves 6 

• 6 racks of Danish baby back ribs 
• 8 ounces brown sugar 
• 8 ounces Las Cruces BBQ Rub (or any BBQ rub) 
• 4 ounces liquid smoke 
• 2 liter Dr. Pepper 

Mix dry rub and brown sugar. Use mixture to coat ribs thoroughly and let marinate 1-2 hours. 

Place ribs in a 15 x 18 inch roasting pan and add liquid smoke and Dr. Pepper to cover the ribs. Seal pan with plastic wrap and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 3.5-4 hours. 

Remove pan from oven, uncover, and let the ribs rest (20 minutes). Carefully remove ribs from roasting pan. Pour remaining liquid in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, adding your favorite BBQ sauce (we use Sweet Baby Ray’s). Use this sauce to brush ribs for serving. 

1217 Del Prado Blvd. S, Cape Coral; 239-673-9010, frdcape.com  

Seared Diver Scallops with Lobster Crab Topping and Brandied Lobster Cream Sauce 

Restaurant: Thistle Lodge

Makes 10 ounces  

• 5 lobster bodies 
• 2 large carrots, medium chop  
• 1 bunch celery, medium chop  
• 1 large onion, medium chop  
• 2 cloves garlic, small chop  
• 5 teaspoons tomato paste 
• 1 cup Myers Rum 
• 2 ounces lobster paste 
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 1 teaspoon roux (flour and butter paste) 
• 1 tablespoon oil 

Spread 1 ounce of tomato paste on each lobster tail. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.  

In a pot over medium heat add oil, garlic, celery, carrot, and onion. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Add lobster bodies and 1 liter of water to the pot and slow cook on low heat for 2 hours.  

Use a fine mesh chinois strainer to separate the lobster brandied base. In a different pot cook lobster base, rum, lobster paste, and heavy cream on a low heat until it reduces to 10 ounces. Tighten it up by adding roux.   

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning 
• 1 lemon 
• 1 orange  
• 2 lobster tails 
• 1 teaspoon oil  
• 1 red bell pepper, small chop  
• ½ green bell pepper, small chop 
• ½ red onion, small chop 
• 2 gloves garlic, small chop 
• ½ cup mayo  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard  
• 16 ounces crab meat 

Add 1 liter of water to pot on high heat, then add 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning, lemon, and orange. Bring to a boil and add lobster tails. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove from water, cool, and separate meat from shell. Chop into small pieces.  

Sauté the peppers, onion, and garlic for 3 minutes and put aside to cool. When cool, mix in mayo, Dijon, and remaining Old Bay seasoning mix. Add crab and lobster meat. Add salt if desired. 

Sear scallops and place mixture on top. Drizzle with cream sauce. Thistle Lodge serves this dish with filet mignon and sides such as mashed potatoes and asparagus.  

2255 W. Gulf Drive, Sanibel; 239-472-9200, thistlelodge.com